Rockets notes: Jeffries' eye on future

JONATHAN FEIGEN, Copyright 2011 Houston Chronicle

Published
6:30 am CST, Thursday, February 17, 2011

Jeffries'eye on future

After each game-day's shootaround, Rockets forward Jared Jeffries puts himself through a long session of drills. Before each game, he goes through another workout. He then returns to his place on the inactive list and Rockets bench, waiting for a chance to put the extra work to use somewhere with an eye on next week's trade deadline.

"I got a bigger picture in mind," Jeffries said. "I know the trade deadline is coming up. I know something will be resolved either here or somewhere else. I know this isn't going to be the end of my career. You go through rough stretches in your career, times you wish didn't happen, but I have a bigger picture in mind. I want to play this year and I want to be part of a playoff team in the future."

Jeffries has played in just 18 games this season, and just once in the past 12 games. He said he has not asked for a trade or discussed a buyout.

"I don't ask for stuff like that," Jeffries said. "I control what I can control. I can control how good a shape I'm in, what I do and my mindset."

Filling in for Lee

With Courtney Lee out with pneumonia, the Rockets went with Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry in a backcourt together to make up for the minutes Lee had been playing, an option Rick Adelman would have liked anyway with Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday and Louis Williams often playing together.

"They play their two point guards together a lot so you'll probably see Aaron and Kyle and Kevin (Martin) on the floor a lot, splitting those minutes," Adelman said.

Nothing special

Few players wear their hometown allegiance more conspicuously than Rockets guard and Philadelphia native Kyle Lowry.

Lowry, however, said he placed no significance on facing the 76ers on Wednesday for the first time as a starter.

"Just another team, another game," he said. "It's the team I grew up watching growing up. I was a fan. I was a big fan. But I'm playing against them."